This literature festival started in 2006, one of the founders William Dalrymple tells the story that there were about 8 people at their first festival, Japanese tourists who seemed to be lost. Wikipedia tells it a bit differently, they say about 100 attended, but William Dalrymple’s story makes much better reading! It lasts for 5 days although not everyone goes every day. I have generally attended for 4 days each time I attended.
It has become the world’s largest and free festival, although you can pay to be a delegate with access to a lounge where food is served, lunch is vegetarian with wine, although if the festival is on India’s Republic day it is alcohol free. It allows you to leave the crowds for a while, which is pretty important.
I first visited in 2015, although I had visited India for many years prior to this visit to Jaipur. The festival starts with music each morning on the lawn at Diggi Palace, a hotel in Jaipur that has been the host of the festival. It can be confronting and somewhat dangerous, a crowd of up to 80,000 each day trying to go to different places to listen to authors, Indian and from around the globe.
I have visited twice more, lastly in 2019. I love the early morning chai and bring the cups back to put candles in. I love the lunch time where you can sit with authors. I chatted to Shobha De one day without having any idea who she was and how popular she was in india.
I do find the crowds daunting, on occasion I have not managed to get into sessions because of crowds, on one occasion my sister struggled to move around the crowds and became distressed, luckily a tall friend was with her and she kept a tight grip on him and got away from the crowds.
One of the other joys is buying books, usually I buy about 20 kgs of books. Indians are great readers, books are cheap and I have been able to read wonderful books from authors past and present as they stock authors who have previously presented.
If you are lucky enough to be invited, there is a dinner the night before the festival starts, held at Rambagh Palace, a stunning palace and where once I managed to chat to authors who were to present that year.
I don’t think it will survive as it was, but I hope it does survive, one of life’s best adventures. I hope to return.
